Archive for the ‘Heart for Boston’ Category

Hubby and I just celebrated our 12th Anniversary, which is a year from my last post. Sigh. That’s another blog post entirely. Anyway, we decided to get matching tattoos as our gift to each other. We decided on Death To Self tattoos, and the decision did not come lightly. I’m pretty sure my parents {and others} think we are going to hell in a hand basket over this, but I don’t care.

The death skull is pretty intense and intimidating, but I assure you there is DEEP meaning behind it.

This image, along with many variations, is historical and dates back to the 1600’s. It can be found on many of the Colonial tombstones in the oldest graveyard, located in Boston, where Paul Revere and Samuel Adams are buried. You may already know that my husband and I have been called to plant a church in Boston. So, it represents Boston and death.

The eyes were designed to be hallow and creepy in order echo the warning that death is a part of life. It’s inevitable.
They go together. Don’t be afraid of death. Live your life.

The spiritual meaning is pretty self explanatory. When you ask Jesus to be in control of your life, you must die to yourself to become like Him. So, it serves as a reminder that we must choose to die to ourselves daily in order to be more like Him.

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Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galations 2:20

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here. 2 Corinthians 5:17

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
{This whole chapter applies.}

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We fasted and prayed together for Boston and our calling for 21 days, prior to our anniversary, for clarity and to bombard heaven for an open door to get us there. {We have been in transition to move to Boston for almost 4 yrs now.} I will always support my husband in his calling, but for the first time, I felt like Boston was my calling too. No longer the cheerleader, but a game player. So, getting matching tattoos symbolizes that we are both called to serve the great city of Boston. And in order to serve Boston or anyone/anything, it can’t be about us, it has to be about Him, which means more dying to ourselves.

I have other tattoos and they all hurt…this one was no exception. Every time I felt the pain of the needles, I kept repeating in my head: “Death to self.” I focused on breathing and praying that we would indeed die to ourselves in order to serve Him better. I began to feel almost disconnected from my arm and that He was saying: “This pain is nothing compared to the pain you have endured over the past 12 years, but it wasn’t in vain. All the pain you felt, was Me scraping and chiseling away at your old self to make You who I need you to be.” I felt so at peace that I fell asleep. Yes, I actually fell asleep. I’m so hard core!!! 🙂

So, that’s the meaning behind our matching death skull tattoos.
And of course I had to add a poppy to mine!! Poppies are my favorite and with myNatty Fray biz, it’s so me!!